Gift Horses
by Lunelis
Summary: When the League answers a peculiar distress call, Batman is forced to evaluate the gift of a person before him. BMWW.
1. Chapter 1

Diana was slouched in Bruce's computer chair, head resting on her hand and eyes barely open when the familiar hum of the Batmobile's engine willed her eyes to stay open. Turning from the computer screen, Diana was greeted by a small smirk as Bruce pushed the cowl back. Diana stood, and in one fluid motion, Bruce threw his cape over the back of the chair she had just vacated and wrapped his other arm around Diana's waist, bringing her in for a kiss. Matching his intensity, Diana wrapped her arms around his neck but backed out only to find a rare light in his eyes.

"You're in good spirits," she began with warmth in her voice. "I trust patrol went well."

"I've confirmed some information that I've been needing for a while," he said indifferently. "In all honesty, I'm more interested in post-patrol…"

Diana smiled brilliantly, and Bruce couldn't help but allow her warmth to flood him. Endless nights of criminal bashing became slightly more bearable once she made her almost daily visits to the cave part of her routine. Usually, however, she was a little perkier.

Bruce began his post-patrol routine, taking his seat in front of the computer. His fingers began furiously typing, recording the events of his patrol while Diana leaned against the main console. Bruce preferred it that way: she was always in view, even if she didn't know it. He liked to think he subconsciously designed that spot for her when he built that computer, despite his not knowing her during its construction. It was as close to Diana's idea of fate as he was willing to go.

"Long day at the office?" he commented, noticing the circles underneath her usually bright eyes.

"Bad day at the office, really," she said, lowering her head and letting out an audible sigh. Bruce could tell she was slouched against the console now, despite not looking at her. He didn't say anything, instead waiting for Diana to release whatever tension had been building throughout the day.

"There was an earthquake in the pacific this morning. The predictions for said earthquake underestimated its strength quite horribly," she began, shaking her head. "Kal and I got there when the tremors were at their worst, but we did manage to get everyone to safety." Bruce could tell she wasn't finished, so he again waited for her to speak.

"But the devastation was unimaginable. The despair and agony I saw among these people was horrible," she added, eyes closed in what seemed like pain. "It was awful."

Bruce stopped typing and turned his chair so he was facing her directly. He caught her gaze and held it, studying her eyes. She knew what he was up to, and though it was among her least favorite of his tendencies, she didn't stop him. He found guilt, which he believed to be ridiculous, but he also knew Diana to be the most compassionate person he knew, so he wasn't particularly surprised. She was probably the most empathetic too. That was including the actual empaths he knew.

He leaned forward and took her hand in his, eyes still locked.

"We both know you did all that you could. You will never find peace if you expect everything to come out perfectly." Diana arched an eyebrow.

"You should take your own advice," she said, the ghost of a smile gracing her face. Seeing that she was in a lighter mood, he turned back to his typing.

"Perfectionism is my greatest flaw," he said in mock-seriousness.

"And here I always thought it was arrogance," she said, chuckling. As Bruce was about to defend his character, Alfred made his way down the stairs to the cave, tray in hand.

"Good evening Master Bruce," he said, setting the tray, which carried some tea, down on a table. Bruce didn't respond, as per usual. With a genuine smile, he turned to greet Diana. "Good evening your highness."

Diana smiled at the kind man, "Good evening Alfred. And please, it's Diana. I'm technically not even a princess anymore.

"Of course," he replied, both of them knowing full well that Alfred would not shed his politeness to satisfy Diana, as much as he appreciated and enjoyed the woman's company. Instead he changed subjects. "I trust Master Bruce didn't keep you waiting. He would know better than waste the time of royalty," he said, giving Bruce a quick glance. Bruce felt it, but chose to ignore it.

Diana, watching the exchange with an amused smile, faced Alfred. "Not any longer than I was willing to wait, at least," she replied, still smiling.

"That is good news indeed," he answered. Glancing at his watch, Alfred bid the two a good night. "Good night Master Bruce, You Highness," he said as he ascended the stairs. Diana shook her head, chuckling to herself.

"At least now I know where you get your stubbornness," she said, slipping off of her perch and standing behind Bruce's chair, placing an arm around his neck in a gentle embrace, lowering her head to the level of his.

"As a great philosopher once said," he began, "It takes one to know one, Princess," he said with humor in his voice.

"I wouldn't know anything about that," she firmly denied, speaking in a throaty voice in his ear.

"Of course not," he said, finding the save button on his keyboard as he turned to meet Diana's lips. She gladly reciprocated, and he turned the chair to give himself better access to her. She placed her hands on either side of his head and pulled him up out of his seat. She leaned into his embrace, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

"A soft bed sounds wonderful right now," she said dreamily. She could tell he was smiling, and she smirked a bit. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Bruce."

"A man can dream," he said, as she led him up the stairs toward the master bedroom._ And dream I will_.

* * *

><p>So, hopefully you all enjoyed it. Reviews are welcome! I do have one question for you guys: this story is only a few chapters long and it's all written up, so should I just upload the rest, or release it on a schedule? Majority wins, on this one, so review away!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

The sunlight streamed into Bruce's bedroom, illuminating the goddess that was laying next to him. He was reading the paper when she stirred, groaning and bringing a hand to her ear.

"I'm here J'onn," she said groggily. Bruce looked at the comm. link on his night stand contemplating whether he wanted to be bothered by League business. His responsible side won and he put the communicator in his ear. On the open channel, he heard the standard call for back-up, which included a sit-rep and the skills that would be helpful. He most likely received a call from J'onn earlier, but it didn't really matter. He had urgent Gotham business on both the Bruce and Bat fronts.

"I'll be up in five minutes," Diana said, rolling out of bed and grabbing her uniform as she walked toward the bathroom. She had been wearing the pajamas she kept at the manor ever since they began their relationship months prior. When she came back out, in uniform, Bruce was already dressed and was sitting on his bed, putting on his shoes.

"I'm assuming you're not responding to the call," Diana said, putting on her boots. "Unless you plan to deter the criminals with your checkbook and pen," she added, standing up straight.

"I'll have you know I am far more frightening as Bruce Wayne than as Batman," he said matter-of-factly.

"I find that hard to believe," Diana replied, eyebrow raised.

"A nice three-piece suit and a sizeable checking account can be quite intimidating," he said, standing up and moving toward Diana. Putting in his cufflinks, he continued, "Actually I have some pressing issues in Gotham. I'm sure the League can handle whatever this is."

Diana pulled Bruce into a kiss, though he continued buttoning his sleeve. Moving toward the door, Bruce called to Diana.

"I'll see you after patrol," he said. He stated it, but with their lives, it was always sort of a question.

"I'll be waiting," she said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Putting a hand to her ear, she said "One for transport," as she faded from his sight.

When Diana materialized on the Watchtower, J'onn was waiting for her. "In the monitor womb, Diana," he said as he walked down the hallway. Diana quickly caught up, walking in to see Superman and Green Lantern talking over to the side of the room while the Flash was standing in front of the main screen. Diana joined him, surveying the scene they were about to interrupt.

"I was under the impression these team ups between villains didn't work out," Diana stated with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, making her presence known.

"That's the one reliable thing about these guys: they never seem to learn from their mistakes," Flash said jokingly.

"They've launched a fairly unorganized assault on Jeweler's Row in Metropolis, and local law enforcement has called us in," Superman interjected. He didn't wait for a response. He knew Diana was assessing the situation, taking in all the visual and audible information she could.

"Who are we dealing with this time around?" she asked. John took a step toward the screen, but pointed to the smaller screen next to it, which had the pictures of five villains.

"So far, we've seen Captain Boomerang, Bane, Plastique, Shade, and Poison Ivy," he stated.

Flash, who had apparently just arrived as well, looked at the screen with confusion and then around the room.

"Two Gotham rogues and Bats isn't here?" he said, obviously surprised. Superman shared Flash's confusion.

"That's actually a good point," he said as Flash did his best impression of a bat-glare. "Does anyone know why he didn't respond to the call." Both Flash and Green Lantern looked at Diana, though Superman didn't catch it. Diana pretended not to notice.

"It is my understanding that Batman has some business to tend to," J'onn stated vaguely.

"Of course he does," Superman stated under his breath. "It doesn't matter. We should be okay to handle six guys with the five of us. Let's move out."

When the five founders landed in the middle of Metropolis they were surprised by the lack of destruction. In fact, Diana noticed no windows were broken. She hoped they just hadn't gotten quite that far yet.

The group divided in their standard set up when they were dropped into uncertain circumstances. Diana and Green Lantern took to the air while the Flash rushed through the surrounding area. Superman scanned the buildings with his x-ray vision while listening with his superhearing, as J'onn tried to sense anyone they were after.

"_I have no visual_," Diana said over the communicator.

"Same here," Superman said, "But I am picking up some chatter." He paused, listening closer as Flash zoomed back to where he and J'onn were standing. "Falkowski's Jewels," Superman and Flash said in unison.

With that, J'onn and Green Lantern flew toward the store, while Superman, Wonder Woman, and Flash hung back for a second assault if necessary.

Green Lantern approached the store with caution, but readied a green mace while J'onn went intangible. Before they could open the door, there was an explosion from inside the store, sending Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern flying backwards. Vines shot out and grabbed J'onn and John, smashing Green Lantern into the wall of the building next door, his mace to disappearing. J'onn merely stepped out of the vine toward Poison Ivy. Putting a hand on her head, Martian Manhunter's eyes glowed and she passed out, releasing her hold on the dazed Green Lantern.

"_I've got Deadshot on the roof. I'll take him out,"_ Superman called over the communicator. However, Captain Boomerang rushed out of the nearest alleyway and threw a boomerang up toward Superman. Having heard him the past few minutes, Superman easily avoided the attack and moved to incapacitate him. However, Flash cut him off, grabbing Captain Boomerang's scarf, which distracted him long enough for Flash to circle back and tie it around his arms. Flash then punched him out, insuring that he would cause no more trouble. He then stood still, assessing the situation.

Superman rushed into the now blown open store. However, the blast was fairly controlled and fairly small. _Plastique_. Seeing the red head, he moved toward her, but suddenly found himself in darkness. Green Lantern moved toward Shade, as did Martian Manhunter, which caused Plastique to ready another explosion. However, Green Lantern caught her movement. He enclosed her in a small green bubble by the time she set off the explosion, the force of which knocked her out.

Deadshot locked in on Flash, who was now standing still checking on Superman. Firing his gun, he was put off by the _ping_ he heard in front of him.

"None of that," Wonder Woman said regally, floating in front of Deadshot, metal bracers crossed in front of her face.

"Sorry sweetheart. This is just business," the smile in his voice obvious as he aimed for her torso. Diana could barely contain her disgust. So she didn't.

"_Deadshot is down,"_ Diana said over the comm. link, as the rest of the League gathered the rogues into a tidy group.

Diana was descending when she caught movement in the corner of her eye. It was too late to defend herself when the mysterious person punched her from behind, causing her to hurtle to the ground. She regained her sense of equilibrium mid-fall, and looked up to her attacker.

On the ground, the rest of the heroes looked up when they heard a groan from Wonder Woman.

"What the hell is Black Adam doing here?" Flash called out. He received no answer as Superman, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter flew up toward Diana. Out of nowhere, Bizarro tackled Superman and Green Lantern, knocking out the latter and stunning the former.

By this time, Diana had fought Black Adam to the ground. He touched down where the rest of the villains were restrained. J'onn and Flash rushed toward him, but a vine caught the Flash's leg, tripping him. Plastique, who had slipped her bonds, blew up a nearby car, which caused a large fire. J'onn, who was nearest to this car, was paralyzed with fear.

In the air, Superman and Bizarro were squaring off. He acknowledged John without looking at him.

"Help the group on the ground; I'll handle Bizarro," he said. Taking his word for it, Green Lantern rushed to the ground and secured the bound villains in a green bubble.

Black Adam had a hold on Diana's neck and was quickly gaining altitude.

"Mr. Terrific, we need a few extra Leaguers in Metropolis! NOW!" Superman shouted over the communicator.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm glad I've gotten a lot of positive feedback! You guys are great! There isn't a lot of this story left, but I hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p>Bruce was sitting in his usual chair in the board room, which was strategically placed four seats away from any other person so he could doze off if necessary. Not only did it let him catch up on a little rest, but it added to the careless playboy persona he played out daily. Not to mention, he got to hear what the higher ups in Wayne Enterprises had to say when they thought he was asleep.<p>

However, instead of actually dozing off, he had one ear to the conversation in the room and one to the chatter over the communicator. The sit-rep he heard that morning was gnawing at him. Those five rogues would not hit jeweler's row at that time of day with that level of frenzy, in Superman's city no less. He was bothered, to say the least.

"_What the hell is Black Adam doing here?"_ he heard Flash shout.

At this, Bruce "woke up." Black Adam had no business working with a bunch of goons. This was organized disorganization. There was no way the target had been Jeweler's Row. Now it was just a question of what the real target was.

Standing up and muttering something about golf with the mayor, Bruce gave Lucius a meaningful look and excused himself from the meeting, which he wasn't too happy about. This company merger would ensure Bruce Wayne a technology deal that could cut cost for replacing damaged computers and electronics on the Watchtower. _Or we could take away Wally's Starbucks card…_

Nonetheless, he made his way to his office, changed, and readied himself for transport.

"One for transport to Metropolis," he said gruffly as he disappeared.

When Batman arrived on scene, he saw Black Adam forcing Diana toward the upper atmosphere and Superman trading blows with Bizarro. J'onn was incapacitated while Flash rushed to put out the fire that had stunned him, and Green Lantern was containing the rest of the trouble makers.

Batman ran toward Green Lantern, eager to learn how the hell everything had gotten so out of control.

"What the hell happened?" Batman asked tersely as he secured the cuffed individuals to separate telephone poles, freeing up Green Lantern.

"It was an ambush," John answered as he rose to help Superman and Diana.

Diana, by this time, has gotten loose from Black Adam's grasp and launched her own assault. He was a skilled fighter, but Diana was certain she had the upper hand when it came to hand to hand combat. His brute strength and ruthlessness, however, would make this entire situation a little more difficult to deal with.

Shifting her position so she was above him, Diana began fighting Black Adam to the ground. From that angle, he was forced to do more blocking than anything. Getting him to the ground would open up offensives from the Flash, and she was fairly certain Batman had also arrived. And against Black Adam, she needed as much help as she could get.

She scanned the area surrounding her, taking inventory of who was out and who was up. The only real problem she saw was Bizarro. Superman was holding his own, but they were evenly matched and a fight like that could go on for a long time. Luckily Green Lantern was on his way up; Kal could use the extra set of hands. Before she brought her attention back to Black Adam, she caught a green glow.

_Green glow?_ Horror filled her in the millisecond it took her to make the realization.

"Superman!" She screamed. Superman looked toward her in time to see Black Adam gain the upper hand.

In the seconds she took to scan her surroundings, Black Adam had recovered from his little bout of punching bag syndrome and threw a punch unlike anything Diana had taken in a while. She rocketed upwards with the force, and shook it off.

By the time she had fully recovered, Black Adam was only feet away, ribar from a partially demolished building in hand.

Batman was scouring the surrounding area for evidence that could help him determine the reason behind this particular attack. They had no intention of theft. But they certainly seemed motivated.

He found a key, but was distracted by the distinct sound of breaking bone, and quickly tucked it into a pouch in his belt. He turned in time to see Black Adam rushing toward Diana, metal rod in hand. It was most likely something from one of the damaged buildings; probably rebar.

He rushed toward the site directly under Black Adam and Diana, reaching for his comm. link. "Lantern, you need to—"

Diana opened her eyes to see the ground fast approaching. That would have been less of a problem if she also hadn't noticed the metal rod tearing through her torso. Realizing she didn't have the strength to avoid the fall all together, she shifted her position and braced for impact. Not to mention, she was fighting to stay conscious.

Though she lost that particular battle, her fall was stopped by a green pillow, and she was lowered to the ground. Green Lantern set her down gently, and knelt down to examine her wounds. Batman was fast approaching, talking to Mr. Terrific on the Watchtower, ordering immediate transport. At the sight of Diana falling, Superman dropped all niceties and threw a knockout punch, sending Bizarro halfway across the city. He flew to her side, but stood back when he saw the blood, afraid to make the situation worse.

"Diana!" Bruce shouted, turning her head toward him, checking her pulse. It was strong, but it was getting weaker. Panic was pulsing through him with every breath. Diana was becoming paler. So was Bruce. "Diana, stay with me!"

Superman scanned her internal organs, checking the damage the rod had done while Flash finally made his way over, eyes wide with shock.

"Oh my God, Diana," he said, barely audible.

By the time anyone had looked to the skies, Black Adam was gone, and with him, most of the leads. But nonetheless, they had a situation to deal with.

"Where is the transport?" Batman barked, tension and worry in his voice. The others could tell from his subsequent remarks that the answer was nothing resembling what he wanted to hear. However, he stopped himself from his verbal assault when Diana stirred. Her eyes opened fully as she shifted and winced, realizing once again that she had been impaled.

"Diana, don't move. We're working on medical transport right now," Superman said, a gentleness in his voice that betrayed his obvious worry. He spoke quietly as if anything louder might break her. "Don't worry, you're—" Diana cut him off.

"You need to pull it out, Kal," she said through gritted teeth.

"What?" he said, unable to keep the shock out of his voice. "No! You'll bleed out—"

"I'll heal faster than you think. Just pull it out and cauterize the wound," she said with more confidence than she should have been able to muster. Superman looked to Batman, but he didn't contradict her. "Please."

He gripped the rod, but stopped himself before he could pull it out.

"This is going to—"

"I know Kal, just do it!" she shouted. The force of her frustration worsened her condition, causing her to cough up blood.

He complied, and quickly tugged as a sickening sucking sound came from the rebar as it left her torso. Diana seemed relieved. She saw his concern, which she had decided was deserved by this point, and did her best to comfort him as he closed the wound.

"See Superman, that wasn't so bad…thank you…" she said, voice fading. She again passed out, and Batman checked her pulse. He turned to John. _Check yourself, Bruce. _His demeanor darkened tenfold and his voice got eerily quiet.

"You need to get us up to the Watchtower. Now."

"How long until she wakes up?" Superman asked. He and Batman were seated next to Wonder Woman's bed. The consistent beeping of the machines was comforting: they let everyone know she was still alive.

J'onn looked at her chart, flipping through the pages as he answered. "She seems to have healed most of the internal damage. Her body, however, has expended a great amount of energy in doing so. I'd imagine she'll be unconscious for at least another day," he stated, matter-of-factly. Batman stood up, moving toward the exit. Superman didn't contain his surprise.

"Where are you going?" he asked, standing up himself. Batman looked at the incredulous alien.

"Inside voice, Kent," he replied icily. Superman, as if realizing he had just violated the silence of a library, sat back down.

"I've got some business to tend to," Batman replied gruffly. He stopped before the door to the med-bay and turned to J'onn. "Contact me if it looks like she's going to wake up."

J'onn, stern as ever, replied "Of course." With that, the doors swished, and Batman was gone in the blink of an eye. Superman rested his chin on his fist.

"Diana, I question your taste in friends" he sighed. J'onn smirked.

"I believe the same could be said for you, Superman."

Clark smirked. "Denial suits me just fine."


	4. Chapter 4

When Batman returned to the cave, he set an alarm to go off in 23 hours. Reaching into one of the pouches in the utility belt, he pulled out the key from Metropolis and placed it in the spectrometer.

Until the results came in, he decided on feverishly sifting through his databases to find a match to that key. There was no company name, but that did set him in the right direction. People who used companies that aren't easily identified usually stay below the radar for a reason. He kept the cowl on, ready to leave at a moment's notice. So focused on the task at hand, Batman was nearly startled when Alfred spoke. Nearly.

"I trust the princess will make a full recovery?" the butler asked. _Of course he knows, what else should I expect? _Bruce thought.

"She's healing," Bruce answered tersely. He loved the Alfred like a father, but he was working to find out why Diana was targeted. Plus, he suspected Alfred disapproved of his charge's current whereabouts.

"I'm sure the Princess' healing would be expedited by the presence of a dear friend," Alfred stated politely. _Called that one, Bruce._

"Clark is there," he replied curtly.

"Well thank goodness for that," Alfred replied politely as he ascended the stairs to the manor. Bruce, not facing him, raised an eyebrow. _I know you're scowling. I can feel your disdain._

Hours after Alfred closed the door behind him, Bruce heard the beeping of the spectrometer. The key was seventy percent lead, with a small percentage of platinum inside. _Microchip. _Bruce considered the possibilities. Lead was a terrible metal to use in a key, and this was certainly a custom job. It took Bruce all of the twenty seconds to realize who the culprits were.

Amanda Waller sat down at her desk, feeling the emptiness of her office. Without turning around, or even blinking, the air had shifted. She was definitely not alone.

"If you ever decide to change careers, I'm sure CADMUS could put your stealth to use," she deadpanned in an attempt to portray more confidence that she actually felt. Batman didn't say anything, but he did step out of the shadows. Amanda was once again reminded of just how imposing the man before her could be when he was angry. And she was fairly certain he was angry. She was also fairly certain she knew why.

"I'm going to be direct: what is CADMUS hoping to achieve by killing Wonder Woman?" he asked, his voice deep and venomous.

He knew she wouldn't fall for the bait. He also knew that she knew he knew everything. Her denial was mere showboating; she wanted to prove she was the biggest, baddest lion in the pride.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Amanda said, sitting still in her chair, trying to be calm as the unmoving figure ten feet away remained stoic as ever. To Waller, Batman always looked the same. He could be angry. He could be distraught. _He could be homicidal._

"I won't ask you again." His tone was dangerous, causing Amanda to suppress a shiver. _Homicidal it is._

Batman's façade portrayed tranquility, but his mind was screaming. For once, his patience was waning, and he really just wanted to punch the staunch woman before him. But he knew what was running through her mind, and keeping her guessing as to what he would do would keep her unbalanced enough to talk.

"WHY WONDER WOMAN?"

He cracked, and Amanda saw it. She would have rejoiced in his showing weakness had that little meltdown not meant that he was about to get very scary very quickly. She saw no need for the charade to continue.

"We weren't trying to kill her. Black Adam went off-book for that one," she began.

"I never would have guessed," Batman scoffed. Amanda ignored his sarcasm and continued.

"CADMUS is testing the league's response to focused attack. You have villains everyday trying to kill you. According to your own experiences, the loss of one league member led to the entire structure falling apart. We need to see how this plays out." Getting indignant, Amanda stood up, nearly yelling at the imposing figure before her. "Your group is too much of a threat to have the luxury of chance," she barked, not wavering to her own surprise.

Bruce couldn't necessarily disagree. Hell, he had dossiers on every meta he knew about. That didn't change anything.

"If you hadn't decided to execute a plan without actual research, you may have discovered Wonder Woman was not the straw that broke the camel's back," he said, reading Amanda's expressionless face. He could tell she didn't know that. "I've been here for five minutes and you have yet to answer my question. Don't make me ask again," he said with an eerie calm. Amanda sighed, and he waited for her response.

"We believed incapacitating the resident Princess would push the right buttons to test our theories." She paused, taking his silence as a request for explanation. Request probably wasn't the right term.

"Wonder Woman was the perfect independent variable for our experiment. She has earned the reverence and respect of every meta operating. Not to mention, she awakens the protective side of the entire league." Amanda paused and Batman merely narrowed his eyes, encouraging her to explain. "Oh please, I can't think of anything you 'heroes' love more than saving the damsels in distress! You like to think you're all about even playing fields, but when it comes down to it, you all treat your female counterparts like they need protection." Batman's expression didn't change.

"Not Wonder Woman," he said. Waller raised an eyebrow.

"Then why are you here? Why not leave this part of the investigation to her?" Amanda nearly smiled as the words left her lips. She believed she had won this battle.

"You're afraid of me," Batman replied. Amanda held eye contact, or at least she tried to through the cowl lenses. He remained silent, and the chill didn't leave her.

Picking up a pen on her desk to put away, Amanda dropped it and reached toward the floor to pick it up. When she was once again upright, her office was empty. She did see a note on the chair by the door, which prompted her to cross the room.

_If you don't want rogues, don't create them. Watch your step._


	5. Chapter 5

So, this is it for this story. I didn't want to drag out a story and really go nowhere with it, so i hope you guys are satisfied with the ending! I have another BMWW story in the works, but at this point, it's based more heavily on comics continuity than anything else. We'll see how that goes...

Also, since I spaced on doing it for the rest of the story: I own nothing!

Anway, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Batman had an alarm set in his system, which conveniently went off just as he returned to the manor. Waller wouldn't ever stop, but his visit would at least make her re-evaluate her methods, in turn which buying him some time to beat her at her own game.<p>

Stepping out of the plane, Bruce reached opened the comm. link channel. "Batman to Watchtower," he said.

"_Watchtower to Batman. What can I do for you?"_ Mr. Terrific answered.

"One for transport," he answered. "_You got it," _came the reply.

Diana stirred, but had yet to wake up. Bruce was the only one is the med bay now, as Clark had left a few minutes after Bruce returned to see Lois and check in at the Planet. He knew Clark would want to be there when she woke up, and was actually pretty surprised he hadn't returned. And then, he saw J'onn walk by the glass doors, peering in to make sure Diana wasn't alone. _Of course_. He really should give the Martian more credit. He knew more than he let on.

Realizing he had Diana to himself for the time being, Batman disabled the security camera and pulled the curtain around them to hide the pair from view. Taking his seat, he removed the cowl. While she'd be happy to see him no matter what, Batman knew Diana would rather wake up to Bruce than the Bat.

He ran a hand through his hair. He really hadn't let the worry hit him until now. Which, in retrospect, was ridiculous. She was healthy; in fact, she was about to wake up. She would be okay. But that didn't keep Bruce from stressing. She could've been killed. That was the intention. If the perpetrators had been less competent, which was a distinct possibility when dealing with CADMUS plans, he would be visiting her grave right now.

But he was being morose, and Diana hated that. _You're insufferable when you're brooding, Bruce._

Bruce was snapped out of his thoughts as Diana stirred once more, her eyes opening. Her eyes were cloudy at first as she searched the room. Landing on Bruce's warm eyes, Diana's own eyes lit up as she smiled.

"Rise and shine, Princess," Bruce said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was impaled by a metal rod," she answered dryly.

"Imagine that," Bruce replied, her sarcasm causing him to smirk. "I must be rubbing off on you." Diana grinned.

"Don't remind me."

"I could imagine worse fates," Bruce replied feigning hurt. Diana chuckled. She tried to say something, but her voice cracked. Being unconscious for a couple of days certainly left one's throat dry. Before Diana could think to ask, Bruce was handing her a cup of tea, unsurprisingly at the perfect temperature.

"Alfred said it was your favorite brew," Bruce added. Taking it gladly, Diana finished the entire cup in less than a minute.

"Thank you," she said, voice mostly back to normal. However, the warmth left her voice as she addressed the reason she was in the med-bay in the first place.

"I trust you're on the trail of this heist," Diana said seriously as she sat up. Bruce, placing a hand on her shoulder directing her back onto the bed. "Please Princess, you know me better than that."

Diana shrugged off his hand, stepping off the bed. Realizing his mission was futile, Bruce chose to move to her side as she stumbled while getting her bearings. More receptive to his help this time around, Diana placed a hand on his forearm to stabilize herself. She didn't even bother to ask the question.

"You already know," she stated.

"CADMUS orchestrated the heist," Bruce began, in answer to her statement. "They targeted you to test the League's response to loss," he continued, the anger creeping into his previously warm voice. Diana looked at him with confusion.

"But the Flash was the catalyst to the creation of the Justice Lords," Diana replied. "My death wouldn't have had the same effect."

"Amanda Waller didn't know that," he replied. "All she knew was someone everybody loved died and the League went rogue." Diana didn't look like she bought his theory.

Batman grabbed Diana's hands in his own, resting them on his chest, which brought her closer. Despite being in the sterile, cold room, Diana was as warm as ever, making Bruce realize just how much he missed her presence in the couple days she hadn't been with him.

"This is a different world Princess. You underestimate the love and respect you've earned." Diana looked at him skeptically as she kissed his cheek. This is one of the things he loved about her. She was so humble, in that way almost naïve. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever known, and she had no idea. She was one of the most loved members in the league, and naturally, she was utterly oblivious. This was one of the few circumstances where he found cluelessness endearing. Bruce was pulled out of his reverie by a grumbling sound.

Diana and Bruce laughed. "Dinner at the manor. Half an hour," Bruce stated.

"And if I say no?" Diana said, smirking.

"You'd break Alfred's heart. Besides, it doesn't sound like you're in a position to turn down a home-cooked meal," Bruce replied lightly. Diana smiled, going in for a quick peck as Bruce turned to leave.

"I could use an escort to my quarters," Diana said with an impish grin. "I'm feeling awfully faint."

Bruce, putting the cowl on, smirked as he met Diana's stride out of the med-bay. It was about two minutes to Diana's room. As she entered the entry code, she looked down the hallway to make sure there were no passers by. Seeing the coast was clear, Bruce took Diana's outstretched hand and followed her into the room. As the door closed behind them, Bruce switched channels on the comm. link.

"Alfred, set the dining room for two," he said quietly as Diana pulled down his cowl once more. Diana looked at him like a huntress who had finally caught her prey.

"Let's see if we can't delay that stew another hour or so," he quickly added. Bruce quickly disconnected, running his hands through her hair, kissing her fiercely.

Back on Earth, a very happy butler smirked, turning down the fire under the pot of bubbling stew.


End file.
